Coke II

According to the Urban Legends Reference Pages (http://www.snopes2.com/cokelore/newcoke.htm) page on the subject, Coke II is the same drink as New Coke. The renamed product was issued in 1990, five years after New Coke made its very unsuccessful debut, in an apparent attempt to rid the company of its remaining stock and a last-ditch effort to try to find a niche. It was packaged in red and gold cans, clearly distinct from the Coca-Cola Classic red cans commonly used. Coke II was not marketed very visibly, certainly not with all the fanfare of New Coke. I have not seen a can of New Coke on store shelves in years on Long Island or in Pittsburgh, but old drinks still live on. (Tab is still sold in many markets, complete with a disclaimer about how saccharin causes cancer in lab rats.)

I was in a corner store in south Chicago in 1998 and bought several 6 packs of Coke II. My friend (a Chicago native) told me that Coke II is still marketed in certain ethnic areas around the country because it's very popular in them. I still have a few cans sitting around the house I show to friends that won't believe it exists.